Page 92 of A Boy Called Lovesong

“Lovesong, don’t go. Can we just talk this through?”

“You already made it clear you don’t want me in on your secrets. And frankly, I don’t give a shit what you’re hiding from me. Like I said, soon you’ll be gone, and I’ll still be here, so what difference does it make anyway?”

With that he grabbed his toolbox, his portable amplifier, and his electric guitar, and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

In the dead of night, as inky storm clouds blotted out the stars and the moon, I stood on the balcony listening to the mournful wail of Lovesong’s electric guitar from across the cotton fields.

There was a sadness to his playing that cut my heart.

And I knew I had to do whatever I needed to take him away from this place.

I realized my reason for being here had changed.

Ihad changed.

PART IV

DEPRESSION

CHAPTER 18

I knocked gentlyon the door to Leroy’s room the next morning, hoping Lovesong would be the one to answer, disappointed when I saw Leroy open the door.

“Hey Leroy, is Lovesong up yet?”

“Hells yes, he been up since the crack of dawn. He set off for work early. He’s out in the fields already. I heard yellin’ through the wall last night. Did something happen between the two of you?”

“I guess you could say that. I’ll catch him when he gets home from work.”

I returned to my room and looked out through the French doors. Across the road I saw the reverend and his wife enter the church. I had noticed them doing this the past few mornings, obviously preparing their house of worship for the evening service.

I picked up Chet and took him downstairs where I found Maybelle in the kitchen.

“Well good morning, Noah. How are you on this fine day?”

“I’m fine,” I lied. “Actually, I’m not.”

“Really? You need some coffee.” She was already pouring me a cup from a pot on the stove. “It’s hot and strong and will fix you right up in no time.”

“I don’t want coffee.” I took a breath then blurted, “I need to break into the reverend’s house.”

Maybelle fumbled with the coffee pot before it slipped from her grip. It clanged on the stove top and in a stunned tone she said, “You need to do what? Why? Are you insane?”

“Reverend Jim and his wife are inside the church now. What exactly do they do in there each morning?”

“The reverend likes to rehearse his sermons while his wife tidies… cleans the windows, sweeps the floors, puts fresh flowers in the vases, things like that.”

“How long does it normally take them?”

“Noah, you can’t be—”

“How long?”

“It varies. Sometimes they’re in there for twenty minutes or so. Sometimes they’re there all morning. Noah, you can’t go breakin’ and enterin’ people’s homes. What if you get caught?”

“I guess I’ll have to take that chance. I think there’s something in that house I need to see. Would you mind looking after Chet for a while.”

“I ain’t gonna talk you out of this, am I?”

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